The FBI acknowledged late Monday that it is increasingly seeking reporters' phone records in leak investigations.

"It used to be very hard and complicated to do this, but it no longer is in the Bush administration," said a senior federal official.

So, the supposedly "free press" is being actively monitored by secret police, and at least one branch of the intelligence community admits it.

So long, First Amendment. Oh, and it's probably the final bullet in the back of the head of the Fourth Amendment, as well.

Just think of the outrage, the clamor, the apocalyptic sermons from the punditry on the Hill, were this a Democratic Administration. Now it's "well, a bunch of people are OK with daily body-cavity searches if they're told it will protect them from terrorists, so what's the problem?"